General Contractor Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

General Contractor Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

You will get all the information you need from this post about the job description of a general contractor, to help increase your knowledge about how they function.

The information in this post includes duties, tasks, and responsibilities that comprise the general contractor work description.

You will also find the main requirements most employers will expect you to have while seeking the general contractor job position.

You will learn more about the general contractor career as you read onward:

What Does a General Contractor Do?

A general contractor is responsible for reviewing project plans, requirements, and specifications, with demonstrated leadership abilities to coordinate a team of estimators to develop a large multidisciplinary estimate.

He/she is responsible for determining labor and equipment costs, performing accurate quantity takeoffs and material pricing.

The general contractor job description involves reviewing and understanding all bid documents and assessing project risks, and understanding project logistics and project schedules.

He/she is responsible for preparing bid packages, comparing and analyzing competitive subcontractor and supplier bids.

General contractors are involved in reviewing quotes and estimates with the project management team; reviewing, understanding, and applying project construct-ability to estimate and accurately develop and format costing.

They attend pre-bid meetings to determine scope of work and required estimate content.

The general contractor work description also includes planning, organizing, and working on projects that are related to production and construction.

He/she oversee the construction process and its progress.

General contractors usually work in home constructions, buildings, hospitals, and offices.

Some general contractors manage the entire construction process, but others only manage particular parts if the project is pretty large.

There are essential skills and qualities you will be required to demonstrate if you are seeking the general contractor job position.

Some of the requirements for this job position include strong preference by employers/recruiters for at least 3 years of previous commercial construction project management experience.

Others are a college degree; Microsoft Office, Excel and Project; strong verbal and written communication skills; detail oriented, and good attention to detail.

Educational Qualifications

The general contractor needs to possess the required academic qualifications depending on the organization he/she seeks to work with.

But generally, they need to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, while a Master’s degree is preferred.

General Contractor Salary: A general contractor earns an average salary of $58,000 per year.

General Contractor Job Description Example/Sample/Template

The main duties, tasks, and responsibilities of the general contractor are shown in the sample job description below:

• Processing submittals and procuring subcontractors
• Applying for any necessary permits
• Scheduling trades
• Processing change orders and proposed change orders, and generating requests for information
• Maintaining tracking logs
• Overseeing projects from beginning to completion while meeting deadlines
• Hiring and managing junior contractors
• Understanding client’s needs
• Ensuring quality and compliance
• Establishing and meeting KPIs
• Adhering to building code
• Maintaining communication with clients
• Managing all employees
• Changing Order Management
• Meeting and exceeding customer service expectations
• Visiting the site and estimating/planning
• Reviewing plans
• Providing all tools and materials.

General Contractor Job Description for Resume

If you are writing a resume or CV, your professional experience section can make a huge difference in getting you an interview and possibly the job.

If you are presently working as a general contractor or have worked in that position before, you can create an effective professional experience section for your resume by applying the general contractor job description example above.

By emphasizing the duties and responsibilities you have performed as a general contractor in your resume’s professional experience, you can be sure that your resume will get the recruiter/employer’s attention, especially if the general contractor work experience that you have is important to the new job that you are applying for.

General Contractor Requirements – Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

Here are major requirements most recruiters/employers will want you to meet if you are seeking the general contractor job:

• Experience leading a team
• Hands-on construction experience
• Accountability and ability to hold others accountable
• Cross-functional coordination
• 3-5+ years as a general contractor
• Plan reading
• Building skills (carpentry, tiling, etc.)
• Time management
• Personnel management
• Communication skills
• Eye for design
• Detail-oriented
• Budget-managing
• Proficient at Excel, Word, Outlook and MS Project
• Familiar with AIA construction contracts and administration
• Excellent verbal and phone skills
• Ability to multi-task and show flexibility in job duties

Conclusion

This post is helpful to individuals who are interested in the general contractor career.

They will be able to improve their knowledge of what general contractors do and also learn the qualities and skills to develop to find employment and succeed in their career.

Employers/recruiters will also find this post useful. They will be able to make a detailed description of the vacant general contractor position in their company from the sample copy provided above.

This will enable them to attract the best qualified candidates for the general contractor job they want to fill.